8/12/2019 Recent photography client: UJIA Magazine

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EPISODES P/00 P/00

ITS LIKETHEY GAVE MY SONBACK TO ME.

How a run-down school became a

hub for transforming childrens lives

AT KINDER GARTE N, THE OT HER

CHILDREN WOULDNT COME NEAR

HIM BECAUSE HE WOULD HI T THEM.

NOW THEY SIT AND PLAY WITH HIM.

Dorit grew up locally and lived in Tsfat

after she married. Four years ago, she

moved back to the small village of Safsoufa

where she was born so she could bring her

youngest son to the Early Childhood Centre

for speech therapy.

I didnt have any of these issues with

my three older children, says Dorit.

As a mother it was very difficult to accept.

It was as if there was something wrong

with my child. When I arrived here they

were able to reassure me. It was particularly

hard for my husband. My husband couldnt

understand his own son. They couldnt really

talk to each other. It was also very hard for

him in kindergarten. He began to close in

on himself. Now he has opened up. Its like

I have a new child.

My son loves Fireman Sam. In the

first session, the therapist asked him what

he likes, and when we arrived at the next

session she had brought along Fireman

Sams fire engine. My son was so excited.

He jumped up and hugged me. It made

me feel so good.

We only started last March. Its less

than a year. Hes made huge strides. Im the

happiest mum in the world. Its a pleasure

for me to come here. Its not easy for

parents to come to places like this. They

want their child to be perfect. But its a

pleasure to come here because as a mother

its an experience for me to see my child

doing things he couldnt do before.

Seven years ago, UJIA came to

Merom Hagalil, a region of rolling

hills and forests around the ancient

city of Tsfat near Israels border with

Lebanon. Then, as now, the area was

very troubled socially and economically,

with high unemployment and around one

third of households under the care of

welfare services. UJIA joined forces with

Rashi Foundation and the local council

to construct a state of the art campus

including a new school building, a modern

sports hall and an Early Childhood Centre.

Moran grew up in Kiryat Ata near Haifa

and moved to Merom Hagalil two years ago.

But her husband walked out on her six

months ago, leaving her alone with their

five-year-old son.

From that moment my son started

misbehaving, says Moran. He started

hitting. He became very aggressive.

The kindergarten said he was a danger

to himself and to the other children. He was

assessed by a psychologist and sent to

the Early Childhood Centre.

Hes having therapy for emotional

problems and also being treated by the

occupational therapist. Hes only been

with them for about six weeks, but you

can already see the results. Its amazing.

Hes a different child. He doesnt really

know the days of the week but when it

gets to Tuesday morning he wakes me

up and says: Mum, its Hadass and

Sharon day, get up quick. Hes changed

so much. Its like they gave my son

back to me.

At kindergarten, the other children

wouldnt come near him because he

would hit them. Now they sit and play

with him. In the morning they gather

round him to say hello. Its really heart-

warming. Before, he would just sit

there alone.

EPISODES

/UJIAcharity@UJIAcharity

Photography by Dave Bender

PhotographybyDa

veBender

To support our work in Israel and the UK, visit www.ujia.org or call 020 7424 6437

8/12/2019 Recent photography client: UJIA Magazine

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P/00EPISODES

Photography by Dave Bender

OPENING THE

DOOR

On an attractive campus in Akko,

4,500 students at the Western Galilee

College are participating in a quiet

revolution in Israeli higher education.

Its a revolution UJIA has been at the

forefront of supporting for xxyears, throughcapital projects and student bursaries.

The college was founded in 1972 and

in 2009 became an independent higher

education institution able to grant its own

degrees. For the 17% of the Israeli population

who live north of Haifa, it allows them access

to college education without having to leave

their homes. Its liberal admissions policy allows

students who have failed the much-criticised

psychometric university entrance test another

chance to pursue higher education. And

its location in the Galilee has resulted in the

most diverse student population in any Israeli

college. 45% of students at Western Galilee

are Muslims, Christians, Druze, Circassians

and other members of Israels non-Jewish

minorities. 75% of the student body are

women. The majority of the students are the

first people in their family to attend college.

I have many friends who dont want to

go to Tel Aviv to study. They want to be closer

to home. As an Arab woman, its not forbidden

to move away, but my parents prefer me to

stay at home, says Hiba Khoury, 22, a first-

year student of Middle Eastern Studies and

Political Science.

I come from Nazareth every day, she

says. The student body here is really special.

Its very mixed. I never had a Druze friend

before. Now I have. Meeting these new people

has helped me to get rid of my preconceptions.

Its really good to have such a mix of people

Jews, Arabs, Druze, Christians.

Inbal Dines, 27, is a second-year

Management student from Kiryat Bialik.

She already runs her own small business

and is able to combine her studies with work.

Im exposed to worlds that I didnt know,

that I hadnt seen before, says Dines.

Im studying with religious Jews and Muslims.

One very religious Muslim woman with two

small children doesnt leave her home at all,

except to study here. I think its amazing that

she insisted to her husband.

Im encountering people who if it werent

for the college I would never have met and

that would be a loss. Its taught me to shed

some of my prejudices and get to know

other people.

The impact of this college on the region

is huge, says Hillal Farraj, a Druze student

who now teaches at the College. Its like

a flame here. Many of the people who study

here are students from the area. That means

more graduates in the area. It gives more

opportunities for people to open businesses

or become teachers. This college is helping

to develop the area.

The flagship of that development mission

is the new School of Management funded

largely by UJIA.

We conducted research on the needs

of the Galilee region and found a serious lack

of skilled management, says Natalie Barak,

the colleges director of external relations.

We really want to try and boost the region by

having these skilled managers, people coming

here to learn those skills. Then they stay here,

they raise their families here, they are working

in those different service industries here,

maybe even opening businesses.

P/00 EPISODES

How Israels mostdiverse college issparking opportunity

and revitalisinga region

Hiba Khoury wants to blazea trail in her community.

Construction of the newBusiness School building

One of the new Galil entrepreneurs, InbalDines runs a pet shop whilst also studying

Management at Western Galilee College.

IM EXPOSED TO WORLDS

THAT I DIDNT KNOW, THAT

I HADNT SEEN BEFORE, IM

STUDYING WITH RELIGIOUS

JEWS AND MUSLIMS.

/UJIAcharity@UJIAcharityTo support our work in Israel and the UK, visit www.ujia.org or call 020 7424 6437